Water issues a high priority for legislative committee

New
Glasgow – A
new provincial Water Act should be in place before any long-term decisions are
made about water exports, says Rustico-Emerald MLA and Opposition Environment
Critic Brad Trivers.

“Islanders
have a deep connection to our water resources. One of the clear messages from
the consultations on the Water Act is that when it comes to our water we should
err on the side of caution - water is limited in quantity, and is shared by all
Islanders - not a commodity to be sold for the benefit of a few. The proposed
bottled water plant is raising such public concern because the Water Act
consultations are still ongoing. If we are looking at bringing in stronger rules
around water usage then we need to halt projects like this until those rules are
in place and being enforced,” says Trivers.

Plans
to develop a Water Act were first announced by government in 2014. A White Paper
on a new Water Act was tabled in the Legislature in July 2015. Public
consultations began in October 2015 and are still ongoing. Recently, a proposed
commercial development in Brookvale involving a water bottling plant for export
has raised community concerns about the stringency of the environmental review
process in the absence of a new provincial Water Act.

“Water
issues have been high on the priority list for the standing committee. We’ve put
issues on the agenda around funding levels for watershed groups, fish kills and
now water exports are being reviewed by the committee. So hopefully there’s a
chance for Islanders to have their voices heard before any final decisions are
made on this project by government,” said Morell-Mermaid MLA Sidney MacEwen who
also sits on the Standing Committee on Communities, Land and Environment.“

Charlottetown – Kensington-Malpeque MLA and Opposition Economic Development and Tourism Critic Matthew MacKay says that dismal job numbers for August highlight the importance of having a real plan see more